"I would die for one," Shields told me exclusively the other day from New York City, where she's starring on Broadway as Morticia in The Addams Family musical. "Unfortunately, my husband is not as amenable. So I either have to trick him or lie to him to get knocked up.

"He said to me the other day, 'I'm beginning to think that if I don't give this to you, you'll do it on your own,'" she added with a laugh. "Yeah, it's like, 'Don't test me. I'm very independent.' But I'm older so my eggs probably need a chisel."

Shields, who has been very outspoken about her battle with postpartum depression, and Henchy have two beautiful daughters, Rowan Francis, 8, and Grier Hammond, 5.

"Maybe I should wait and then adopt," Shields said. " We have a lovely home and life and I want to be able to share it with a big family. But maybe it's supposed to be done in a different way, an altruistic way."

Even though Christmas is just around the corner, Rowan and Grier have yet to tell mom and dad what they want.

"I think it's because they just discovered that Santa was not free," said Shields, who has partnered with Harry & David to offer consumers gift giving ideas this holiday season. "The other day we were looking at a gingerbread house and my younger daughter said, 'I want one of those! Why don't we get our own gingerbread house?' I said, 'Well, honey, you know they don't just appear. Even if you ask Santa for them you have to pay for them.' I think that totally changed their lists."

She said she and Henchy don't give each other lots of individual gifts, but prefer taking a vacation or buying a piece of art.